Richard Stayner

Sir Richard Stayner (1625-1662) was the Vice-Admiral of England's Mediterranean fleet, fighting in the English Civil Wars, First Anglo-Dutch War, and Anglo-Spanish War. A supporter of the Parliamentarians, Stayner retained his knighthood even after the restoration of King Charles II of England.

Biography
Serving in the Newfoundland fisheries trade in his youth, Stayner later joined the Parliamentary navy during the English Civil Wars. In 1652 he captured Prince Rupert of the Rhine's Royalist ships in the civil wars, and on 29-31 July 1653 served in the war against the Dutch in the battle of Scheveningen, where Stayner destroyed the Dutch fleet with only a few losses.

In 1655, Stayner sailed with Admiral Robert Blake to Cadiz during the Anglo-Spanish War to blockade the Spanish port, and on 19 September 1656 Stayner destroyed the Spanish treasure fleet of Marcos del Puerto. On 20 April 1657 he assisted in the destruction of the Spanish treasure fleet again, in the Battle of Tenerife, alongside Blake.

After the restoration of the Stuarts and the acession of Charles II of England to the throne, he was knighted due to his ferrying of King Charles over to England from exile in France. In 1661 he sailed to Lisbon, where he was to take command of the Mediterranean Fleet, but died of illness.